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NEEDS ASSESSMENT OF THE NATIONAL REFERRAL MECHANISM FOR VICTIMS OF TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS IN UKRAINE
approached it. In Odesa Oblast, the Centre can provide housing to 24 persons between the age of 18 and 35. But again, until now no identified trafficked persons have been accommodated in the shelter, though some may have been among the persons who were admitted to the Centre. The statistics of the Centre do not single out trafficked persons but only persons in crisis who received assistance. In Kyiv, the Centre of Social-Medical Rehabilitation is attached to the Kyiv City Centre for Social and Psychological Assistance, which provides shelter for up to 30 women and children from Kyiv. However, no trafficked persons were identified among the beneficiaries as yet. In Chernivtsi Oblast, simply one or two cases of trafficking were accommodated in the shelter so far. In Lviv Oblast, only persons with residence registration in Lviv and Lviv Oblast are admitted to the Centre for Social and Psychological Assistance. Until now, one trafficked person was accommodated. Exceptional efforts to assist trafficked persons are made by the Centre for Social and Psychological Assistance in the Khmelnytskyi Oblast. It provides accommodation for up to 10 women and men and offers a wide range of services for trafficked persons, such as assistance in obtaining relevant documents and a social status, support in dealing with state authorities and in finding employment, legal and psychological aid. Victims of trafficking usually receive information about the Centre from the district, city, town, and village centres of social services for family, children, and the youth, central executive authorities, local selfgovernance authorities, NGOs Caritas, Myloserdya, and others. Besides, other centres such as the Centres of Mother and Child, which is for women between the seventh month of pregnancy until the child is one and a half years old, may also be used by trafficked persons though no information is available in this regard.
Shelters for Minors The MinFYS established a national network of shelters for minors, which provide social protection and accommodation. No information is however available on the proportion of trafficked minors among the beneficiaries because, for the most part, they have not been identified as victims of trafficking. Respondents generally confirmed that, in principle, trafficked children can be referred to specialized facilities for children or come on their own initiative. However, no interviewees could recall a single such case so far. The shelters for children provide accommodation for a maximum period of three months and offer different services such as medical, psychological, legal assistance (including assistance in receiving social status), social services, and others. In the centres for social-psychological rehabilitation of children, children can stay for up to nine months. However, the accommodation can only take place upon the parents’ consent given the importance of co-operation among social workers, children, and parents in order to get the child back to normal life. If a child originates from a different oblast, the authorities in the respective oblast are usually contacted. If the child is a non-Ukraine citizen, the MFA is apparently notified.